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tv   BBC World News  PBS  November 15, 2010 6:00pm-6:30pm PST

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and your mind years and shifting it around. >> today, opposite the building where we did the interview, the security was out in force, and identifying everyone who came and went. only the secret police were allowed to use these from a year, to follow dissidents are
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around. with aung san suu kyi at liberty, everything could change. but for the regime, it is still business as usual for now. bbc news. >> there are fresh concerns over the debt crises in the euro zone. the 2009 deficit in greece is much higher than previous estimates. and the irish government has also been in touch with brussels over concerns that it may need a bailout. we have the latest from our correspondent in athens and our european business reporter, nigel cassidy. >> very little has changed in ireland. ireland's leaders spent much of the day trying to reassure the financial world they had the cash for the next year. in ireland with its bond out banks, they look to be the one
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in the same. 80 billion euros was on the table. politicians said there was pressure from outside to take it. >> there is a lot of pressure on the government is shifting between sovereign debt and bank debt. the speculation is stacking on the banking situation, removing the sovereign situation. >> today, the irish government maintain that no aid had been asked for. >> we have really dealer contacts -- regular contact. it is very normal. >> but the german chancellor made clear the survival of the single currency is going to be a main concern at the meeting in brussels tomorrow.
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>> i am telling you, everything is at stake. if europe fails, then europe fails. and with that the idea of european values and unity. >> the well germany might balk at the extra cost of ireland, commentators see such a move as inevitable. >> the european financial stability facility -- d big question used to be win. the european union is pressuring ireland's. -- pressuring ireland. spain and portugal have seen the bond yields soar over the last year. this is largely based on what is going on in ireland. >> and portugal is seen as the next vulnerable nation in the european union. they are having to deal with the problems of greece and ireland.
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nigel cassidy, bbc news. >> as a team of international inspectors arrived, european auditors went through the notoriously unreliable accounts. at last the truth of the damage was revealed. 2009, the debt and increase with of a late 200%, the highest and in the european union. its debt rose to 140% of gdp, nearly 2.5 times the limit fort euro zone members the greek prime minister missed the inspectors. he was in paris, talking up his government's efforts in blaming the germans, suggesting -- blaming the germans for suggesting that the taxpayers should not prop up failing
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nations. its recovery is essential for the european union. the prime minister says that the election results are and mandates to continue with the austerity program he reread -- . the question for the european central bank is whether to give it greece and the bailout money due in december. most economists say this will not happen because the institutions have been invested so much in making sure greece does not fail. but there will be more cuts. bbc news, athens. >> in the runoff election, a new president. his supporters have set up barricades the clashes with
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security forces in parts of the city have been an issue. there are claims the election was fraudulent. at least 900 have been killed by the cholera epidemic in haiti. there is great concern it will spread, affecting more than 1 million earthquake's survivors. indian police are saying 32 people have been killed in new delhi. 60 others have been injured and others are believed trapped in a collapsed building. germany's chancellor angela merkel has been reelected as the leader of her party. she won 90% of the votes she is slightly down on her previous results.
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there are reports of discontent within the party. the british government's is about to return home after an agonizing 380 days held captive by somali pirates. they had to be paid twice, in fact. but the british government is insisting they paid no money for their return. >> the last 48 hours have been a whirlwind for rich and paul chandler. there were flown to safety. here, they are at the british high commissioner's house. he has learned his father died in july wells he was held captive. the need times you adjust to the situation. -- they need time to adjust to the situation. it was nearly very different.
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in october last year, they tried to stop the pirates transferring the jammers from their yacht to a larger container ship. war-torn somalia has become a haven for pirates. they ganged up all the time 400 sailors are currently being held. the british government insists it has never been paid. the chandler family has not thought about any ransoms or how they were paid. but we do know that a drop like this one was made to the pirates holding the couple. ed a quarter million.
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it is believed the second ransom was paid. some say it was to the somali government. >> the pirates are not, themselves, negotiating with the demand environment. people get hurt. people get killed. they are taken out of the picture. all of that simply activates the frustration. >> be chandler's -- the chandlers are preparing for their journey home to britain. their life together has been nearly torn apart. bbc news. >> stay with us, if he can, on "bbc world news." still to come -- will silvio berlusconi be forced out? first though, the united states
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and european union under a new attack for these substances handed out to farmers. they are said to be hugely damaging for agricultural operations elsewhere. campaigners in west africa are the latest to call for a change in approach. our correspondent has the story. >> bringing in the harvest in west africa, campaigners backing these farmers say they produced the cheapest crop in the world. demand for their output should be strong. but the cotton producers in the united states, the world's biggest exporter, are paid almost $1 billion a year in subsidies. that reduces the price that poorer farmers can earn. producer groups in united states say subsidies their guaranteed millions unstable
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jobs on forms and related industries and in some of the poorer parts of the country. but none are anywhere near as for as those in west africa -- chad, molly -- mali. they are using these subsidies paid to farmers, and they are boosting the incomes of farmers there by 10%. that is an increase that could make a big difference. a small number of west african farmers already benefit from higher prices for their cotton. and median price is paid for the organically-produced crop. in west africa, it has helped pay for the vital school system. marshal doyle, bbc news.
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>> this is "bbc world news." very good to have you with us. the latest headlines -- burma's pro-democracy leader aung san suu kyi told the bbc she wants a peaceful revolution for her country. fresh concern over the stability of the european union. in afghanistan, there are signs of new issues with the taliban. a senior official has said that they are tired of fighting. they say that if nato will withdraw their forces, they will make sure that al-qaeda is kept out of afghanistan, for good. >> night falls. there are new deals of blood, and much is happening behind closed doors. this is a founding member of the taliban, seen as a close associate of its iconic leader.
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he is not a spokesman, but he says he is ready to talk. >> [unintelligible] >> the taliban are at the head? >> yes. the taliban. i think this is the best time. >> the problem and the reason for this conflict is al-qaeda was based here. he claims even that once unbreakable link is negotiable. as the coalition does, so, too, will al-qaeda. >> if al-qaeda wants to stay here, that is the problem. [unintelligible] i am convinced of that. >> you are saying that the taliban will give a guarantee that this country would not be
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used as a base for an attack on any other place? >> yes. i am sure. >> whether or not he is right about the taliban's willingness to break its links with al-qaeda remains, of course, the question. if talks were to take place, nato could play a crucial role in bringing these key players together. and in fact, nato was already supporting the dialogue. >> people in the government, i have been in direct contact. we have had these kind of talks with some significant members of the taliban, the main taliban group, and other insurgent groups. >> and in this crisis, what does britain have especially to offer? >> we have experienced. we are making very difficult
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choices ourselves. we are trying to bring peace to northern ireland. we found it very different. both sides of the conflict mistrusted the other side within government. so we bring that experience. we bring that knowledge. it actually is possible. >> we support each other. and in many cases, we are responsible for terrible acts. >> so, is it really possible for the taliban, who presided over this country in such a brutal fashion, to once again share in government? it seems of four people broken by war, even that prospect is worth considering. bbc news, kabul. >> political resilience and scandal have been current themes in the life of the italian prime minister serve though -- silvio berlusconi. the government is unhappy with
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his policies and private life. but silvio berlusconi refuses to resign. there is a flash photography in this report. >> can he survive? for the first time, silvio berlusconi was reelected to office and in 2008, the question can be seriously posed. a new party program away from his party last week -- and a party broke away from his party last week. there were anchored by scandal. >> we lost support. it is very clear his government has not been able to deal with the recession, a number of grievances which happened on non-. the number of unemployed. it continues to rise. >> this 18-year-old exotic dancer is another reason might silvio berlusconi is in trouble.
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known as "ruby," she went to his private party. the latest scandal to galvanize the opposition, you say they will call a vote of no- confidence. >> we have said we are ready to pass as the ability mall. immediately after, we will -- we have said we are ready to pass a disability law. immediately after, we will have a vote of no-confidence. >> once a key ally of silvio berlusconi, and he now heads the freedom party, putting pressure on him to resign. what happens next?
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everyone wants italy to avoid an irish-style deficit crisis. berlusconi is likely to face opposition in both houses of parliament and no one knows if he can survive that. on the kennedy, bbc news. >> i huge fire has destroyed -- a huge fire has destroyed an apartment building in china. at least 90 were killed. we have this. >> amateur video captures the moment the fire took hold. the 28-story apartment block lies and in with the most densely-populated parts of shanghai, and the building was under renovation and the fire broke out. there was more and more panic as smoke began to engulf the building and the fire spread. it is not yet clear how it started.
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building materials had caught a light, according to one report. within a short while, dozens of fire engines were at the scene. some had to climb the scaffolding as they waited to be rescued. the firefighters took several hours to bring the blaze under control. there was confusion, as people hunted for family and friends. >> we have been driving to a hospital, said this man. what can i do? what's the fire crews worked into the night. it will be -- >> the fire crews worked into the night. it will be sometime before the scope of the disaster is known. bbc news. >> we will be keeping an eye on that, of course. 3 million muslims are taking part in the annual pilgrimage in saudi arabia. some of found costs rising so high, they cannot visit the
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holiest sites. we have this report. >> mecca this morning. 2 million muslims, and the largest pilgrimage in the world. killing on this pilgrimage -- going on this pilgrimage ones in your life is regarded as one of the five sacred pillars. >> so, if you find it, you have to account to the almighty allah. >> even in britain, met the booms large. -- mecca looms large. but the cost of getting there has more than doubled in the last few years. many muslims have realized they probably will never go. >> is my belief will never be
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complete -- it is sad, you know? >> some say that muslims are obliged to make the pilgrimage to mecca only if they can afford to do so. but it is one of the five tenets of islam. no wonder so many are becoming desperate to pay for it. many blame companies for the price rise. some of the bureaucracy of saudi arabia. demand has outstripped supply. many leaders say there is widespread distress. >> i say 1,400 pounds. now, if you are talking about 4,000 pounds. 5,000 pounds. there are a lot of muslims who
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would love to go on pilgrimage, but they can no longer afford it. >> at home, five times a day, he turns toward mecca to pray, but this may be as close as he gets you taking the pilgrimage. >> much more on that and all the international news online at bbc.com/news. you can catch up with me and most of the team on twitter. i'm @bbcmikeembley. thank you for watching. >> hello and welcome. >> see the news unfold, get the top stories from around the globe and click to play video reports. go to bbc.com/news to experience the in-depth, expert reporting of "bbc world news" online. >> funding was made possible by the freeman foundation of new york, stowe, vermont, and honolulu. newman's own foundation. the john d. and catherine t. macarthur foundation. and union bank.
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